Broward adds arts, technology programs as district prepares for more closures

Broward County Public Schools is making a last-minute pitch to families as the district faces declining enrollment and the possibility of more school closures.Superintendent Howard Hepburn did not shy away from the challenges facing the district, saying enrollment is down and more schools will have to close.“We will have to close schools again this year. We have to align ourselves to our enrollment realities and inherently align ourselves to our budget realities,” Hepburn said.The superintendent said the district has about 50,000 vacant seats, and projections show the decline is continuing.At the same time, Broward schools are expanding their curriculum to attract and support students.All elementary schools will now offer at least three special courses, including art and physical education.“These are challenging times for us financially, but we prioritize our students first and went through the budget line by line, and we did some trade-offs to make sure something like this could happen,” Hepburn said.The district is also adding special space programs and expanding access to high-tech tools, including 3D printing and virtual reality. Technology currently available in a lab at Nova Middle School will be offered across the district.Students using the virtual reality equipment can create 3D drawings while building skills like spatial reasoning.Hepburn said the goal remains to provide opportunities for all students.

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